Seal-lock



(Model.)

J. M. SMITH.

SEAL LOCK.

N0. 337 879. Patented Mar. 16, 1886.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. SMITH, OF'KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SEAL-LOCK.

' ECILIEICATION {arming part of Letters Patent No. 337,879, dated March 16, 1886.

Application filed Jane 17, 1885. Serial No. 163,012. (Model) To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joan M. SMITH, of Kansas City, Jackson county, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My present invention relates to an improved construction of the movable staple which forms a portion of the subject-matter of my two pending applications bearing Serial Nos. 142, 805 and 160, 228, respectively, and to means for rendering its operation more certain of accomplishment and the parts used in the construction less liable to become deranged by use.

My invention consists ofa casing provided with a horizontal passage and a vertical chamber or passage intersecting therewith, a movable staple or bolt adapted to operate in the horizontal passage, said bolt having a concave depression in its body and aloose ball located in the vertical chamber and adapted to fall into said depression as the latter registers with the vertical chamber when the bolt is pushed inwardly, and in making the depth of said depression less than the diameter of the ball, so that the upper part of the latter will come in contact with the shoulder at the lower part of the vertical chamber and prevent the removal of the bolt; and my invention further consists in combining with the ball-catch arrangement a pin or lug upon the movable bolt, said pin being adapted to turn behind a shoulder in the casing when the bolt is rotated, holding the same and acting as a safeguard should the ball-catch at any time become inoperative.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a complete lock in position upon a portion of a box-car. Fig. 2 is a section through the same on line as m, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a section on line y 9 same figure. Fig. at is a repetition of Fig. 3, except that the movable staple is in a locked position. Fig. 5 is aside elevation of the lock as shown in Fig. 4, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the upper side of the improved movable bolt.

The letter A indicates a casing in which the operative parts are located, and which may be affixed to the door-post at one side of a boxcar doorway by any approved means. A horizontal passage, B, having open ends, in which the movable staple B is adapted to operate, is formed within the said casing, and a vertical chamber or passage, 0, is also formed in the casing immediately above and intersecting the horizontal passage B. The entire casing, including these passages, is preferably cast integral.

The movable staple B has its outer end bent to the form of a hook, B and a pin or lug, to, projects inwardly at a right angle to its body and on a plane with the hook B". Upon the upper side of the said staple, about midway of its length, a depression, D, is formed, so that it may be engaged by the ball 0, located in the vertical passage 0.

Near the inner end of the casing A an opening, a, into the horizontal passage is formed,

to allow free movement of the pin a during the operation of the staple B". This opening needs to be sufficiently large to allow the pin a such a radius as corresponds to afourthrevolution of the movable bolt B in the passage B, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

One side of the opening a is provided with an inclined surface, a, and a small depression, a the outer extremity of the inclined surface terminating in such depression.

The hasp H may be attached to a car-door in any approved manner, and the seal S is constructed of any suitable brittle material, and it is provided near its periphery with an aperture, S".

\Vhen the parts are thus constructed, the

H is made to engage said hook, as an ordinary staple is engaged by a hasp, and the seal S is placed upon the hook, as shown in Fig. 1, after which the movable staple is pressed inwardly, the pin a sliding upon the inclined surface a", and slightly rotating the staple until it engages the depressiona at the inner end of the inclined surface, and until the ball (1 drops into and engages the depression D in the body of the movable staple, Figs. 4 and 5. The hasp cannot then be removed from the hook until the seal is destroyed. Even if from any cause the ball 0 should be held suspended and fail to engage with thesides of the depression D in the body of the staple, the same cannot be withdrawn because of the pin a being in engagement with the shoulder of the depression a in the casing.- The hasp surrounds the hooked end B of the staple and prevents it from turning and becoming disengaged.

i To gain access to a car sealed by this lock the seal must first be destroyed and the hasp removed. The ball 0 is preferably made of chilled iron or of steel.

I am aware, in seal-l0cks, that abolt having a flattened head, and being capable of a longitudinal and a rotative movement, has been used in connection with agravity-lockingbolt, a hasp, and aseal provided with a rectangular perforation forpassing over such head and engagingasquared portion beyond; but such a construction, owing to complexity and its accompanying liability to disorder, does not accomplish what I now desire, and I enter here my disclaimer to such construction. The shoulder a on the movable staple fits closely to the bore of the passage B, and will prevent tampering with the ball C by the introduction of any sort of instrument.

A pin or bar, I), is placed across the upper portion of the vertical passage 0, just above the ball 0, so as to confine the same therein.

The advantages of having a ball-catch in place of the usual rectangular catch are that the shape of the former will allow it to roll over obstacles which would obstruct the latter, and as a spherical catch has no corners it is less liable to become wedged or caught when the bolt is being rotated. The ball moves with a rolling mot-ion, thereby causing little or no friction or wear, while in the old rectangular latch the sides often stick to the walls of the casing, thus increasing friction and wear, and making the operation of the lock uncertain.

I also wishit understood that I do-not-broadly claim a seal-lock havingamain bolt provided with a recess containing a beveled surface and adapted to receive a shot serving as a key which wedges between the bolt and its casing; for such a construction will not answer my purpose. c

What I claim is- 1. A seal-lock consisting of a casing provided with a horizontal passage and with a vertical chamber or passage intersecting the horizontal passage, a movable staple or bolt operating in the horizontal passage and having a depression in its body, a ball located in the vertical chamber and engaging said bolt,

and means at the inner end of such bolt to prevent its withdrawal from the passage should said ball become inoperative, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the casing A, having depressions a, of the seal, the hasp, and a movable staple or bolt, B", operating within the casing and being provided with a hook, B upon its outer end, and with a pin, a, projecting near its inner end at right angles to its body on aplane with said hook,and having a depression, D, formed upon its upper side, and a ball also operating in the casing and adapted to drop in said depression D, and

secure the said bolt when pressed inwardly, substantially as and for the purposes herein set forth.

3. In a seal-lock, the combination of a casing provided with a horizontal passage, a chamber located above and intersecting therewith, a movable bolt adapted to operate in said horizontal passage, said bolt having a depression in its body, and a loose ball located in the upper chamber and adapted to roll into said depression, which is' of a depth less than the diameter of the ball, whereby the ball comes in contact with the shoulder at the lower part of the wall of said upper chamber,

to prevent the withdrawal of the bolt, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiir my signature FRANK KENYON, O. A. KENYON. 

